On300 LB Max Granville talks top schools and future official visits
Sugar Land (Texas) Fort Bend Christian Academy On300 linebacker Max Granville comes from a big, athletic family.
His father Billy played his college football at Duke before lining up at linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. His mother Gretchen played volleyball at NC State. He has an older brother Life that played college basketball at NAIA powerhouse Bethel, another older brother Zion that plays college football at Illinois State and a sister that played volleyball at Oklahoma Wesleyan.
“It’s good,” Max said of the competitive juices flowing around the house. “I think it’s kept me humble. Just being in the mix with a lot of kids, and having older siblings, I appreciate it.
“Especially looking back on it.”
A lot of college programs are looking at the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Granville who has the traits to blossom on the next level into one of the best pass rushers in the country.
“I credit so much to my dad,” Max said. “We butt heads sometimes but his experience in the NFL and how he poured into me my whole life and not sugarcoating anything and training me and keeping it real and giving his insight on past experiences, I would not be where I am without my dad and I’m grateful for that.”
The elder Granville loves the way Max is wired.
“When you’re around great athletes, the best ones I’ve been around, the best players they have that fire,” Billy said. “They’re just ballers and they know how to play. They’re instinctive, just all that stuff sometimes is hard to quantify or define. He has a lot of those intangibles.”
Ranking and Contenders
Granville is tabbed by the On3 Industry as the nation’s No. 179 prospect overall. Kansas was first to offer back in May of 2022 and heading into summer prior to senior year, Granville now has close to 40 opportunities to consider. He’s narrowed the focus to five.
Baylor, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC are the programs still in the running to ultimately sign Granville.
“I’ve been grateful for every opportunity,” Granville said. “It still feels like a dream. It’s exciting and i’m excited to go on my OVs and see how they go.”
Granville took his official to Baylor in April
Baylor hosted Granville for his official the weekend of April 26.
“It was great,” Granville said. I really like Baylor.
“I feel like not in an arrogant way going to Baylor I could be the guy and they just showed me they really want me even compared to any other school recruiting me. They’ve gone over the top in the way they recruited me. I feel they have a great position fit there. There’s a lot of value in being the guy and I feel if I go there I can bring a solid class with me and restore Baylor into being a great team and one of the contenders in the Big 12 year in and year out.”
The elder Granville likes his son’s potential playing for Dave Aranda.
“I think the visit went great for Max. There is a lot of relationship equity there. They were the first school to offer him right at the start of the 2022 season. Max what he likes about Baylor it’s close, it’s in Texas. School is similar to his high school. In terms of Aranda and the fit I think he really liked Aranda in terms of that scheme. He also knows they have a need for playmakers in that defense. That Aranda scheme is designed for inside and outside linebackers known for playmakers.”
Penn State return set for May 31
Granville’s last experience in Happy Valley blew him away.
“Their scheme, it’s just amazing,” Granville said. “It’s the best scheme out of any of the schools to be honest. I’ve been in film meetings with every coach except USC in my top five and he lets them fly around. They’re good athletes. It’s not complicated. They run some stunts but it’s really about aggression and that’s how I’ve been playing in my high school career. Just getting off the ball and attacking. I love that.”
Penn State blew way Granville’s father as well.
“You look at Penn State, if you’re someone like Max, they let them play vertical. They like athletic edge guys. They’re not two-gapping and power-stepping. They’re playing vertical. If you’re someone that likes those one-on-one matchups like Max you love that. They’re letting their guys eat and let their guys go get it. He had a great visit with them. They led the nation, their defense I think they were top five in total defense, top five in scoring defense, led the nation in tackles for loss and led the nation in sacks. They had two guys drafted pretty high.
“I think when you go to Penn State and sit in a position meeting, on his visit sitting with Deion Barnes in a room, you’re sitting in a room for an hour clip after clip of their edges just making plays. Tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback hits, pressures, it’s not just a play here or play there. It’s very compelling and shows they led the nation in tackles for loss and sacks. You sit in the meeting room and it’s like oh yeah they did. I think that’s the appealing thing for Max. They give their guys principles and let them make plays and they have a track record of development.”
Granville will visit USC for the first time on June 7
The Trojans could make a big move in a few weeks.
“LA and everything that’s cool. but football I feel like they have a good class building right now and a great staff when it comes to NFL experience. They’re the only school I haven’t visited yet in this group of OVs. It will be good to get on campus, see things, talk to the coaches more and get in the film room. I’m curious more than any other school because I haven’t seen it.”
USC has expressed to the Granville camp they want to get bigger and more versatile on defense in moving to the Big Ten.
“(D’Anton) Lynn is bringing in more of a pro-style type defense, multiple, they want to be multiple and within being multiple want to have defensive players that have versatility,” Billy Granville said. “What I heard from him they like Max’s versatility and he fits what they’re wanting to do. They like Max’s ability, they believe he’s a high-level edge rusher and they also believe he’s built to do other things. They have Max on the board as a linebacker and as an edge. I think with the staff they’re putting together I think what might be intriguing about USC is because Lynn comes out of the NFL and his pedigree what they’re trying to do with Max can better prepare him for the NFL”
Texas A&M pulls ahead as On3 RPM favorite
Granville has already been over a couple times since head coach Mike Elko and the new staff was hired. He was one of the first players regardless of class, Elko went and saw after being hired in College Station.
Granville will take his official the weekend of June 14.
“They’re also building a great class right now,” Granville said. “Great SEC school in my home state. Good coaches. Good scheme. Coach (Sean) Spencer, Coach (Tony Jerod) Eddie, great resources. It’s just a great option. Coach Elko I believe in him for sure.”
The elder Granville likes the trajectory of the program under Elko as well.
“A&M they’re right here. A little over hour drive from the house. You have an elite SEC program right in your back door. Their pitch is always everything you need is right here. I think the appeal of that it’s an elite SEC program.
“The appeal of a new staff, starting with a new staff. I think for Max too, they and their scheme they have their drop end, basically like a standup outside linebacker. They’re like this is exclusively where we want Max. That’s what Jay Bateman said they really value him. Obviously Max, I think he likes that. What else is appealing they have a great track record of recruiting these stud interior linemen. So being ale to play with those kind of guys Max thinks about that too. If you’re at a school like A&M they’re going to have hosses on that line. It think too going along with the first point, elite SEC, we were at A&M-Alabama last fall A&M hosted. For Max to experience that and we’ve been to other games, we haven’t been to any Big Ten games. That game atmosphere was a lot different than a UT game we went to later that season. A lot different than Oklahoma and Baylor game we went to, so I think that’s exciting too.
“A&M is preaching to Max we don’t have a guy like you on our roster. You fill something we don’t have.
Oklahoma has always been a top contender
The Sooners are slated for the final official visit the weekend of June 21.
“Oklahoma is great,” Granville said. “I love Oklahoma. Great resources. I love Coach (Brent) Venables and the program. I love the campus. I love the University of Oklahoma. I think it’s a great place football wise and the feeling I get when I’m there. I like Coach (Miguel) Chavis a lot. He has good attention to detail when I’ve been in position meetings. I feel he has a great vision for me and I’m excited about that visit as well.”
The culture at Oklahoma is catching the family’s eye.
“OU DNA that’s what they say,” Billy Granville said. “He’s kind of like an OU DNA guy. A Brent Venables, blue collar, get your hands dirty but also kind of the faith based part of it as well. There is a lot of alignment there in terms of just culture. Not just on the field but off the field you’ve got that.
Brent Venables is a defensive coach. OU shows love as much as any school. Venables has history of being a defensive guy, a lot of team success with defense and getting guys to the league at Clemson.”
Granville is looking for the right fit
His parents are helping him through the process.
“I think it’s hard because he wants to play in the NFL,” Billy said. “Obviously a program that’s going to give him an opportunity to develop and reach that goal. I think he also understands life after football and faith, his faith is really important to him. Culture. He’s kind of a quiet personality. Max is an old soul, kind of a throwback player. He’s really into that camaraderie and culture. He’s a more of an old-school football guy. I think the football side is really important to him to have the opportunity to develop and be in a competitive environment and I would say culture and people that are like-minded in terms of wanting to compete for championships and take it to the highest level and doing it the right way.”
Besides the schools mentioned, Granville could also fit Michigan into the equation.
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